| 主权项 |
1. A system for securing a suture without knots, comprising:
a reusable deployment tool having a distal shaft terminating in a distal tip, the deployment tool including an ejector movable within the distal shaft; and a plurality of pre-assembled, disposable fastener cartridge and suture snare subassemblies, each subassembly including:
a cartridge having a lumen that receives a single suture fastener within a distal end thereof, a proximal end of the cartridge lumen being sized to engage the distal tip of the deployment tool distal shaft, the suture fastener having a clamping structure that can be flexed to an open condition through which a suture can pass, the clamping structure being biased toward a closed position which clamps onto a suture passed therethrough, the cartridge having at least one stop that maintains the suture fastener in its open condition, anda suture snare having an elongated flexible snare portion sized to pass radially inward through aligned ports in the engaged cartridge and tool distal shaft and distally through the suture fastener in its open condition, the snare portion being adapted to capture and pull a suture proximally through the suture fastener and out of the aligned ports in the cartridge and tool distal shaft, wherein when the cartridge is engaged with the deployment tool, movement of the ejector contacts and converts the suture fastener from its open condition to its closed condition to clamp onto a suture passed therethrough. |
